


RosaWatts Week

by TheDeceivingMaiden



Category: Finding Paradise (Video Game), To The Moon (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Epic Friendship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff without Plot, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Male-Female Friendship, Mild Language, Romantic Fluff, Self-Harm, Work In Progress, censored in day 7, in day 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-06-19 06:31:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15504372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDeceivingMaiden/pseuds/TheDeceivingMaiden
Summary: Collection of prompts for RosaWatts Week!





	1. Day 1: Stargazing

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, let’s see if I can do this!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1: Stargazing. Eva remembered seeing the starry night sky during Johnny's case. Thinking she was never going to see a night sky like that again, she didn't expect Neil to take her stargazing though.

Eva never forgot that night sky she saw during her and Neil's case on Johnathan Wyles. She was used to the city's night sky, not the ones that could be seen in the middle of nowhere. Hearing how Neil often used to go star gazing with his grandpa made her a little jealous, as she didn't expect him, of all the people in the world, to enjoy the beauty of nature.

So, Eva accepted the fact she wouldn't see such a beautiful night sky again. Right now she was half asleep in Neil’s car, unaware of her surroundings as she drifted in and out of sleep. It was dark outside, but that was normal since they always finished their missions late at night. But that meant she was not familiar with where they were right now, especially when Neil just stopped the car in the middle of nowhere.

Before she could even wake up completely, Neil had already parked the car at the side of the road and turned off the engine completely. "Neil?" She turned to him just as he got out of the car, urging her to do the same with his hand.

"C'mon!" He sounded excited before he disappeared to get something at the back, which Eva really didn't have the mood for since all she wanted to do was go home and sleep it off. With a grunt, Eva exited the car, expecting a perfectly good explanation from her partner, only to stop in her tracks when she actually got a good look of her surroundings.

Everything around them was dark, save for the lights coming from the millions of stars above them. Eva couldn’t believe she didn’t notice them during their drive back home. There was a slight chill in the air, making her grip the lapel of her lab coat to keep herself warm. However, something heavy, yet soft and warm, draped over the back of her body, making her look up to see Neil carrying a picnic blanket and some sort of baggage (longer than their memory machine) as he kicked the car door shut and lock it.

"This way," Neil took lead, which Eva didn’t question and just followed. Her eyes were on him as he used his phone's light to light the path he was going, yet she kept on gazing back up to the night sky from time to time. "Aaaaaand here!" Neil put down his stuff and laid put the picnic blanket for them to sit on. Eva was still looking around in awe, but she eventually found it within herself to talk again.

"Did you plan this?" She asked as she sat down with him.

He heard a satisfied laugh as he went to set up whatever was in the bag. "Yep! Because why not?" he turned to her with a smirk. "Thought you should see a real night sky since you just like the one made from a machine. After all, the real thing is better."

"Agreed," Eva uttered before she could stop herself. Neil was laughing at her as she blushed. "Um...I mean..."

"Ha!" With a laugh, Neil stepped back to reveal what he was setting up: a telescope. Before he let Eva have a go, he looked through it first to see if he could find a good cluster of stars to look at.

"Here, have a look" At Neil's offer, Eva stepped up and took her turn with it. She could literally see a river of stars across the night sky, taking her breath away once more at how beautiful it was. She barely heard Neil as he stepped closer to her, helping her zoom into a certain area. "That's the Milky Way," he explained. "It looks like a river of stars, doesn't it? And you see those two brightest stars shining on either side of the starry river? Those are the lovers seperated from by the river."

"Never knew you are so romantic."

"Oh hush, gramps told me about it and now I'm telling you this because you're a girl!" Eva shot him a glare for saying that. "Anyway, those two lovers can only meet once a year, and if you try and look into the river of stars..." Neil leaned over to help her find it using the horoscope. "You can find a super bright one. That represents the bridge that allows them to be together for the night."

"Huh..." She took her turn to look. "Is that so? Why are they separated to begin with though?"

"Because they weren't doing their job in Heaven," Neil leaned back to lie down and admire the night sky above them while Eva continued to use the telescope. She wanted a better look at them since it was not every day to see the stars up so close. "Those two lovers can only meet on the 7th day of the 7th month, and tonight's the night according to the internet."

"I see..."

Neil glanced at her for a moment, seeing how absorbed she was staring at the stars Neil was showing him. He was silent, words rolling around in his mouth before he could bring himself to say something. The silence was noticeable though, as Eva pulled back to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"Huh? Ah..." Crap she saw him staring. "Just...staring...at the weird face you're making while goggling at the stars."

For that, he got a playful shove from his partner. "Oh hush," she laid down beside him, making him raise and eyebrow. "Any other stories of the stars you have? Not just the romantic ones."

"Oh boy!" He grinned at that. "You see there? That's..."

For the rest of the night, Neil pointed out each constellation he could spot in the night sky, telling the stories to an eager Eva beside him. He couldn't stop grinning, because having Eva beside him like this made his heart feel light.

He was so glad there was a clear night sky tonight. Or he wouldn't be able to share all these stories about the stars with Eva.

He couldn't bring himself to tell her a minor belief on the story of the two lovers though. Like people believed how the lovers couldn't meet if it rains on the night of their meeting. The river would become flooded from it.

And people called it “The Tears of the Two Lovers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neil’s story is based on the story on the ‘The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl’


	2. Day 2: Singing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: Music/Singing. Neil was tired, planning to get coffee to stay awake, but couldn't when he suddenly heard Eva singing.

Neil seriously shouldn't have stayed up so late for his machine. He had already pulled an entire week of all nighters, but most of them was for work. He really wanted to work on his machine to make up for lost time, but it was not like he was making any progress. So much for fiftieth time was the charm.

Sighing, he gave up for the night...or day. The sun was up and there was still an hour left till work. Maybe he could grab a mug of coffee down at the lobby, act like a normal human for once before hiding away in the office to snooze. With that in mind, he got out of his seat, groaning at his stuff aching muscles finally moving for once, and left for the lobby.

He knew he wasn't functioning properly when he almost tripped on his own feet though. He thanked God Rob and Roxie, anyone really, wasn't here to see him like this. Heck, he could see himself as a mess when he checked his reflection in the elevator. His glasses were crocked. His hair a mess. And wow, did he really button his lab coat in the wrong places? With a groan, Neil tried to fix it as he got off the left and headed for the lobby.

Once he was done, he didn't expect anyone inside as well. The sound of the mini-oven went off, scaring him and then Eva when he let out a (slightly manly) scream. His partner almost dropped her plate as she glared at him gripping where his heart was.

“What was that for!?” she snapped, and ow, for some reason even hearing Eva’s voice made him nauseas.

“When did you get here?” he tried to retort, but it came out weak. Eva was unimpressed by his reply but didn’t say anything about that.

“Just then. Had to come here first to heat up some left overs for breakfast,” she turned her back on him as she opened the mini-oven to get a slice of quiche she heated up inside. “What about you? Stayed up late again on your work?”

“Um…yeah,” Neil was a bit uneasy with that question, but thanked God that Eva was rarely the one to pry. “Wanted to get some coffee before work start.”

“Seriously?” she gave him a look. “With how much you’re drinking, I think a cup of coffee wouldn’t be able to keep you awake anymore,” she shook her head with a sigh, yet she was already holding a cup of coffee and offered it to her partner. Now that they were standing so close though, Eva frowned, raising a brow at him. “Geez, Neil. I’m serious, when was the last time you slept?”

“Um…don’t remember,” he answered lamely, taking the coffee quickly before retreating to the couches. He ignored how Eva was staring at him, hoping she would just leave him alone. It was not like he was never going to sleep. He would after he did a bit more tinkering with the machine…

After a while, Eva grabbed another cup of coffee and her quiche to go over to where Neil was. She surprised him by sitting right next to him on the couch, not making a single comment as she just set everything down on the coffee table in front of her and began to eat. Neil was a bit tensed, as he was scared on what she was going to do next. Nothing happened though, so they just sat there and minded their own business.

It took until Neil almost finished his cup of coffee did he heard Eva say something again. Actually, she was humming a soft tune to herself. Glancing to the side quietly, making sure his glasses hid his eyes completely to not let Eva see, Neil saw her swaying slightly to a small song she was humming to herself. Her dark eyes were staring at nothing as she hummed, only stopping whenever she took a bite of her breakfast. He couldn’t help it but be entranced by how soothing her quiet humming was, making him sort of move a little to her little song. It made him feel calm, relaxed even…

 _If you'll be my star_  
_I'll be your sky_  
_You can hide underneath me and come out at night_  
_When I turn jet black, and you show off your light_  
_I live to let you shine_  
_I live to let you shine_

Neil just realised that Eva was singing now. Her voice was so soft and gentle, making his eyes drop slightly as he rested his back against the couch to enjoy her song.

 _But you can skyrocket away from me_  
_And never come back of you find another galaxy_  
_Far from here_  
_With more room to fly_  
_Just leave me your stardust to remember you by_

Somewhere along the line, Neil thought he should make a comment on Eva’s singing. She was good at it after all. He always knew that, as much as she tried to deny it. There was just…meaning behind the words she sang. And it made him sort of feel at peace…with a slight yearning…

 _If you'll be my boat_  
_I'll be your sea_  
_A depth of pure blue_  
_Just to probe curiosity_  
_Ebbing and flowing_  
_And pushed by a breeze_  
_I live to make you free_  
_I live to make you free_

At this point, Neil was not paying attention to what he was doing anymore. Exhaustion just seem to have a hold of him more, and he couldn’t fight it. Eva’s singing just made him want to to sleep more. He didn’t want to sleep yet though. He wanted to say something… anything…to Eva…

 _But you can set sail to the west if you want to_  
_And past the horizon_  
_'Till I can't even see you_  
_Far from here_  
_Where the beaches are wide_  
_Just leave me your wake to remember you by_

Before she could even finish, Eva noticed that Neil had finally fallen asleep. Of course, she noticed him watching her, yet she couldn’t bring herself to tell him off. He looked so tired, and she felt compelled to lull him to sleep for once. She was surprised by how it worked though.

“Idiot…” she reached over to take off his glasses and place it into the chest pocket on his lab coat before gently pushing him down to make him completely lie down on the couch. Whatever he was doing behind her back, Eva was worried, but decided to not make him feel cornered. She knew he hated that, ever since their time together during childhood. All she could do was stand by him, wanting him to realise that she was here with him despite their differences.

And she hoped that he would realise that, and let her help him feel at ease and not hide things that could cause harm.

But till then, she would still stand by him.

“Sleep well, Neil,” she got up to leave, planning to tell Robert to let the others know that Neil pulled an all nighter with work or something. They could just take it as Neil just being Neil, as they all knew he was a night owl to begin with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Eva sang was “Boats and Birds” by Gregory and the Hawk.


	3. Day 3: Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil woke up at the hospital. He wasn't sure why he was here until he saw Eva in a hospital bed with a crib beside her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny story. I thought I posted this. Turned out I didn’t. So I put it off until I wrote more and hopefully can update everyday or two until this whole RosaWatts Week is complete.  
> Enjoy!

At first, Neil wasn’t sure where he was. His mind was hazy, his body felt stiff as his limbs dangled off the edges of whatever he was sleeping on. It was too small for him, and it was definitely not a bed. Rolling onto the side, he tried to go back to bed, only to just rolled right off the couch and fall to the floor with a _thud_.

“Ow…!” That woke him up. After sitting up and checking if his glasses were broken from the fall, Neil looked around to see where he was. It seemed like he was in a hospital room, a decently sized one with a couch and a coffee table in one corner of the room, and a hospital bed at the other corner, which Eva was peacefully sleeping on.

Memories came back to Neil on why he and Eva were in the hospital to begin with. It was all a blur, but he remembered bits of it. How he missed all of Eva’ and her sister Traci’s calls and messages. How he just told Rob to _drive_ to the hospital. How Eva just screamed into his ear once he arrived. She even swore so much that it even put sailors to shame. Granted, she was irritated from the intense pain and lack of sleep, and it didn’t help when Neil tried once or twice to encourage her to hang in there. Trying to be nice for once, and his only reward was getting snapped at by a screeching Eva.

Thankfully, that was over and done with now. Eva was now sleeping peacefully in bed, and their baby girl was in the crib right next to her. Getting up, Neil went over to see how his two precious girls were doing so far. He couldn’t help but smile, feeling content just seeing them. Afterall, it was still unbelievable that he now had a small family of his own with Eva, and this small girl sleeping in her crib was proof.

There was a slight whimper heard, making Neil look up to see their baby girl waking up to cry. Fearing that the noise would wake Eva too, Neil panicked and quickly went over to pick her up. It seemed the sudden movement made her more irritated, thus she cried louder.

“H-Hey…! Shh…” he walked away from Eva’s bed, looking over to make sure she didn’t wake up from the noise. She didn’t. “Shh, it’s okay. Daddy’s here…” He tried rocking the baby back to sleep, but it didn’t work at all. “C-C’mon! You don’t want to wake up your mum, do you?” He tried patting her back instead, and that earned him a sniffle. Glad that seemed to be working, he continued patting her as he sat on the couch. “Shh, it’s okay. Nothing’s wrong, baby. Just a nightmare…No need to cry. Daddy’s here to protect you and mummy since she’s asleep right now. There’s nothing scary, so just go back to sleep.”

The baby continued to sniffle, her small hands grabbing at nothing until she settled for holding onto Neil’s shirt. Her small eyes opened slightly, making Neil blink is surprise at the colour. It was the same as his, only darker. “Huh. I thought you will be a miniature Eva, but guess you have some of my awesomeness as well,” he grinned as he got comfortable. The baby looked up at him, as if questioning him. “That’s right. Your daddy is the embodiment of awesomeness. That means you, my little bundle of mischief, are going to be as awesome as me.”

“Abu?” the baby blew some bubbles from her mouth, but Neil just took her as not believing him.

“I’m serious!” He leaned back a bit as he got some tissues from his pocket to wipe away the drool. “You’re going to be an awesome baby. A super awesome baby even,” he went on. “I have said my lies in my lifetime, but I can assure you this, I’m not lying that you’re a super awesome baby. So no need to cry since you have an awesome daddy to look after you…and an equally awesome mummy, but don’t tell her that.”

“Uuu…” the baby seemed to respond, letting out a yawn before snuggling up to her dad. Good, she was getting sleepy from his talk… _How rude._

“So no crying…mummy and daddy will try their best to look after you,” he murmured softly as he got off the couch. There was another yawn as Neil went on. “You might not believe me now, but I am serious when I am saying this: I will protect you.”

“Aaaaah…” with a final yawn, the baby girl went back to sleep. Really, was his epic speech fell on deaf ears? Oh well, at least she was asleep now. With another sigh, Neil laid the baby back in her crib, tucking her in before brushing aside a small wisp of her dark hair away. Now that was done, he might as well go back to sleep and-

“Huh?” he did a double take, frowning a bit when he heard giggling. “Wait…how long have you been up!?”

Eva laughed out loud, her voice quiet as she whispered, “Since our baby started crying?” She snickered a bit when Neil pouted at her, making her lift her hand up to gesture for him to come closer. He was reluctant at first, but he gave in anyway.

They ended up snuggling closely in the tiny bed together, with Eva brushing his hair aside before taking off his glasses. “Not bad, Watts,” she hummed in acknowledgement. “I didn’t expect you to baby whisper her to sleep.”

“Not exactly…” he mumbled, but he wasn’t going to complain. He wrapped his arms around her before yawning himself. “Tired…”

“Then get some sleep…” Eva placed his glasses on top of the pillow. It should be safe there. “We’ll need it. Everyone’s coming over to see the baby in a few more hours after all.”

“Aaaaaaaaaargh,” Neil groaned as he buried his face against Eva’s shoulders. “You just gave birth! Can’t they leave you alone for a day or two?”

“Sorry. Not happening,” she shrugged before snuggling up to him. “We’ll get our alone time afterwards, so be a good boy just a bit longer, okay?”

“Hmph!” He sulked, making Eva laugh. Glaring at her slightly, he added “We better get that alone time afterwards!”

“I promise,” she nodded before pressing her lips to his eyes. “Now sleep.”

“Yes, ma’am,” and with that, they both dozed off to sleep in each other’s arms. But not before they heard their baby seem to giggle in her sleep.


	4. Day 4: Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eva found Neil used her notebook. Annoyed with him using her things again, she reads it. She just didn't expect what was written inside.

Eva couldn’t help it but dig her nails into the notebook she found in Neil’s office. Her patience with Neil stealing her stuff had reached its limits. She was used to Neil keep on borrowing her stationaries without asking, but this crossed the line. She had been looking for this notebook for months, only to give up and accept the disappointment of never able to use it. It was a beautiful notebook with shell-like patterns etched onto a sea green cover, perfect for Eva to use as her diary in the future.

Yet, it turned out Neil had it all this time. And had already used all the pages in it. Eva couldn’t help it but glare at the sticky notes sticking out of the pages here and there. She could make out a lot of the pages were ripped out, leaving unnatural looking spaces between the remaining pages. What’s more was how Neil _dared_ to doodle on the book cover with silly faces, making Eva’s blood boil.

Gritting her teeth, Eva was tempted to copy the entire content inside the note book and plaster it all over the Sigmund office. If Neil was not going to learn how to stop taking and using her things without permission, then she was going to punish him so much that he would regret it.

“Now what did you write in here?” Eva casually hummed as she sat herself down on Neil’s chair to flip open a page. Everything was a mess, with notes and side notes written everywhere, along with scribbles and doodles all over the place. Eva blinked at the words, wondering if Neil was using this to talk to someone…or to himself. She could make out his handwriting, and the more she read into it, her jaws slowly dropped.

“W-What…?” she leaned forward to double check what she just read. Her eyes grew wider as she scanned the pages over and over as she flipped over them. She couldn’t believe what was written in here, as there was no way Neil would put in so much thoughts into thinking about something so deep and serious. Everything Neil wrote inside this notebook was either scribbled out, or had a side note written next to it to point out if it was a good idea to do this for Eva or not. Was it too cheesy? Too cliché? Would she be interested in going to the movies together with him? Was it childish to go to the amusement park together? Was he trying too hard to take her to the aquarium? What about gifts? What did Eva even like?

When and where should he do this?

When and where should he finally confess to her his feelings?

“Ack!” Before Eva could even react, a pair of hands reached out and grabbed the notebook out of hers. She whipped her head around to see Neil standing above her, his face bright red and his glasses comically skewed, allowing her to see his eyes. His mouth was like a gapping fish, and in all honesty, Eva would have told him to stop it, yet she could not.

“H-How much did you read!?” he snapped, just deciding now he should march over to swipe back the notebook and hide it behind him. It was not like it did anything, though, because Eva still read it. “What are you doing here anyway!?”

“I…” Eva tried to remember, but was only drawing up blanks. “I…I…Why did you use my notebook!?” she finally managed to shout, only to mentally kick herself because that was not what she wanted to ask.

“I found it lying around! So…um…” Neil quickly pushed his glasses back on. “I-It’s none of your business anyway!”

“It is when that notebook was originally mine!” She finally stood back up to look him in the eye. But that didn’t work well, as being this close now just made it more awkward between them. Both their faces became redder, making them look away in embarrassment. And Eva cursed herself quietly for that. “How…” she cleared her throat, trying to calm down now as she glanced at him for a bit. “How…How long?”

He stared at her for a second, but he looked away at once. “H-How long _what_?” his voiced cracked on the last word.

“Just…how long were you planning this?” Eva found herself say, although that was a stupid question. Given how long it was when her notebook got stolen, Neil must had planned all this for months. And really, she wanted to ask another question.

“I dunno. A long time now?” he gulped, looking back at her again. “Y-You mad?”

Eva could hear how desperate he sounded. And really, it made her chest tighten a bit. “I…I’m not. No wait,” she shook her head, now glaring. “I am mad you took my things without permission again!”

“I don’t mean about the stupid notebook!” Neil snapped, face even redder. “I’m asking you about something else!”

“W-Wha…!?” Eva was taken aback, words stuck in her mouth. “I…I…”

That seemed to be enough of an answer for him though. Sighing, Neil raised his hands up in defeat. “Thought so,” he turned away to walk to the trash can. “Look, this is nothing. It’s just crappy joke I was coming up to mess with you. Think of it as if I failed and you just got lucky for finding out.” He gripped the notebook tightly in his hand for a bit as he stared down at the trash can. “It was stupid anyway.”

Before he could chuck the book in with the rest of the garbage, Eva reached out and grabbed his wrist to stop him. Surprised, Neil looked back, only to see his partner had her gaze set at her feet. Her dark bangs covered her eyes, yet he could still see how she was biting her lips in frustration.

“Speak more clearly…” she finally said, her tone sharp as she tightened her grip on him. “I couldn’t answer because I didn’t understand you.” Lifting her head up, Eva glared at him with a bright redness on her cheeks. “For pineapple’s sake how was I supposed to answer that when you didn’t make any sense to begin with!?”

“I…!” Neil tried to say something, but it was his turn to being able to say anything. Eva tugged on his wrist, pulling him closer as she stepped up closer to him to add “Tell me what you meant. What did you want to ask me!?”

She didn’t mean to raise her voice, but Eva did it and she didn’t regret it. She was dangerously close to Neil, but she didn’t care at all. All she cared right here, right _now_ , if Neil really felt that way, and if he really wanted to know how she felt about _him_.

She watched how the large lump in his throat bobbed up and down, as if he was trying to make that big lump go away. But he couldn’t, of course. His glasses tilted slightly off the bridge of his nose, and Eva could see his eyes again. And for once, she could read him like a book without those glasses on.

Without warning, Neil grabbed her cheeks and pressed his lips onto Eva’s, startling her as her gasp got muffled against his mouth. She didn’t pull away as he lingered there for a bit before pulling back. It didn’t seem to last long, but it felt like the kiss took forever.

“Just…” he cleared his throat, his hand on the rim of his glasses but didn’t make the move to put it back on or take it off completely. He wouldn’t look her in the eyes again as he tried to not blush. “Just…did you hate that?”

Eva really hated how round about he was going with this, but this was the best she could get out of him. They could talk about it later. For now…

She placed her hand on top of his, the one that was still holding her cheek and she leaned into it. “No. I don’t hate it.”

Their eyes met again, and Eva couldn’t help it but laugh at the dorkiest look on Neil’s face as his eyes light up like a kid on a Christmas morning. Wrapping her arms around his neck though, she whispered slyly "You owe me a notebook."

He made a face at that. "Really? You're not letting that go?"

Before she could say anything though, both Eva and Neil heard someone clearing their throat at the door. They snapped their heads around to see Roxanne and Robert there, with the blonde waving around her phone mischievously as she said “Just a little advice since you two are dating now: close your doors next time.”


	5. Day 5: Angst, Hurt & Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being booted out of Neil's machine, Eva go to visit Neil after failing to save him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame Kan for releasing the song, ‘Snooze Song’, causing me to create a RosaWatts ‘storyboard’ for the song. Recommend listening to the song while reading it.

It had been hours since Eva set up the machine for her to use, and her body stayed still the whole time as she continued her dive through the memories she was linked to. Sometimes her brows would furrow as she relived whatever she was seeing, but she did nothing else. No sound escaped her, except for her breathing, which was in rhythm to the sound on the clock hanging in the room.

When her fingers suddenly twitched a couple of times though, Eva gave a hiss as the machine forcefully kicked her out again, and this time it wouldn’t let her back in for the night.

“Dammit…” Eva’s vision blurred as she almost toppled out of her seat, only catching herself when she gripped the arm rest with one hand, her face buried into the other. She waited for the nausea to pass, but it was unbearable to just sit here and do nothing. Stupid machine and its complicated functions to kick out abnormalities.

Sighing and forcing herself out of the seat, Eva staggered her way to the door. It was getting stuffy in here anyway, too hot for midwinter and the heater wasn’t even on. Eva glared at the digital clock flashing its red lights at her in the dark, saying it was two in the morning before she sighed and made her way to the next room over.

Neil was still laying in his bed, his eyes half-closed and helmet on as he slept his night away, as usual. The only light illuminating his face was the light coming from the street lights streaming in through the gaps of the blind. He didn’t stir when Eva came in, nor when she took in a heavy breath from seeing him like this. It was just not like him to be so silent around her.  

Taking another deep breath, Eva entered the room and took her seat on the chair beside his bed. She watched how his empty eyes stared up at the ceiling, blinking once in a while for no reason, even when his ol’ partner and close friend was sitting so close to him in worry.

Eva stared down at his hand, and after some hesitation, she finally decided to take it into hers. She gave it a firm squeeze, but still no response. At this point, Eva was sure even if something popped out of the closet to scare him, Neil still wouldn’t budge from his stupor, and that just upset her even more.

It shouldn’t be like this. After so many years of knowing each other, how could he end up like this? They had their ups and downs, including things they were and were not proud of, but they were always there by each other’s side. It was not perfect, but to Eva, it was enough, yet she took it for granted as she realised she never did enough for Neil to begin with. She was always hesitant, making excuses on how she knew him well enough that he needed space. There were chances present here and there for her to take and confront him with, yet she always stepped back to do nothing. Even when he hid himself away behind the door to his office, Eva didn’t bother knocking at the door to see what was going on and left everything as it was quietly.

Feeling the tears fall, Eva tried to stop it flowing but couldn’t as she stared at how Neil continued to stare at the ceiling above him. If he was here with her right now, he would tease her in his own way of comfort. But he was not here. He was in bed, unconscious, and probably dreaming about whatever he wanted from using his machine, which Eva could never seem to reach when she used it.

Eva was so sure she was so close to finding him in whatever fake memory he was trapped in. She was so sure she was close to finding whatever made Neil do this to himself and bring him back from it. If it meant for him to be in an unawakening sleep, then whatever he wished for was not worth it. Their job was to grant final wishes, but it did not mean for Neil to be trapped in one and live his day within its illusions forever.

If this was for himself, then he was stupid. If it was for others, then he was even more stupid. Everything he did ended up with him getting hurt in the end, and he wasn’t rewarded. Instead he was banished by everyone at work, and all he had was an empty wish he was dreaming about somewhere within his mind.

Eva was sure she would be the next to fall though. Not sure if she was going to be caught red-handed for stealing Neil’s machine, or finally succumbing to it though. But she was still going to try. She had tried for over a month now, and no way was she going to stop. She was going to bring Neil back, even if it would end her.

Wiping her tears quietly, Eva forced a smile. “I’ll see you again later, Neil,” she said softly before deciding to help Neil with closing his eyes for the night. He needed a real rest too, she was sure. Getting out of her seat, Eva headed out the door to grab something to eat before heading to bed too. She had another day ahead of her, and it was going to take another all-nighter.


	6. Day 6: AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate AU where you get a mark representing what your soulmate is passionate about. During Eva and Neil's first date as a couple, Eva couldn't help it but think about how long it took for them to get together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time I told Fran I would draw a Soulmate AU based on her RosaWatts drawing she did (which was in turn based on Pure’s drawing of them at the beach). I am finally writing it now.  
> Thank you, Mari for talking about this with me.

_It was said that when someone entered their adolescence, a mark would appear someday somewhere on their body, and it would represent what their beloved someone – their soulmate, was passionate about_.

~.~.~.~.~

In all her life she knew Neil, Eva was very good at tuning her childhood friend out. Whatever jokes and rambles he had, Eva just ignored it all and only gave occasional nods and sounds to show she was listening a bit. This time though, she was smirking at how much of a baby Neil was being as they made their way to the beach towel and umbrella they set up on the beach.

It was a nice summer day and Neil, of all people, would suggest they should go to the beach together as their first date as a couple. In all honesty, Eva didn’t expect to hear that from him, and expected him to pull some sort of prank. But nope. Just them together, with him wearing socks with his sandals as they explored the beach and played in the water a bit. It only took an hour after they arrived did Neil get covered in burning red sunburns, and he was struggling with each step as he tried to fight the stinging pain he felt all over.

“ _Now_ do you see why it’s important to wear sunscreen?” Eva asked teasingly as they sat down together on the towel. Neil gave out a long hiss when his burnt skin touched the not-so soft fabric.

“Yes, but it doesn’t change the fact they’re smelly!” Neil tried to argue, but he just continued to whine in pain. He was stuck between deciding to lie back on the towel or just sit still for the rest of the day. Still, both those options sounded painful to him. Sighing at his distress, Eva rummaged through her bag to get a tub of aloe vera gel she brought. Neil saw it, and his glasses seem to shine in delight. “Aaaaaw, you actually have that?”

“Yes. Because I knew this would happen,” she turned to him as she unscrewed the lid of the tub. “Now stay still, I’ll put it on you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Neil did as told. It was not everyday Neil was so compliant, but she wasn’t complaining. Instead, Eva just unscrewed the cap of the container the gel was in and smeared the goo onto Neil. He gave a small hiss, but a sigh soon followed as the gel soothed him greatly. It sort of amazed them both on how his skin could become like this after being in the sun for only an hour. Everyday they learn new things about each other, they guessed.

Making her was down his left arm, Eva paused for a moment on the mark imprinted on his inner wrist, her thumb gently rubbing over it. She never got a proper look at it, so this was a good chance to have a look.

It was said that when someone entered their adolescence, a mark would appear someday somewhere on their body, and it would represent what their beloved someone – their soulmate, was passionate about. For Neil, he got a purple jellyfish marked onto his left wrist, telling him his soulmate was connected to it. Either just love the animal, or just love the ocean in general.

Watching how Eva stared at the scars scattered all over it, Neil gave a sigh. “Hey, c’mon. We talked about this.”

She gave a nod. “I know…” she rubbed her thumb over his mark. “Just…Just wished I knew sooner.”

“You didn’t know yours was on the back of your neck, and I didn’t know you like jellyfishes,” he tried to reassure her with a grin. “So it’s fine.”

She shook her head. “I know that…but,” just remembering got her frustrated, “it doesn’t change the fact it was _right there_ all this time.”

Eva didn’t know when she got her mark, but for the entire time during her school life, she believed she didn’t have one. She was sure she checked everywhere on her body, until she gradually gave up doing so when everyone around her had one.

Everyone but Neil, or so he claimed. He pretended he didn’t have one either by hiding his own mark behind long sleeved shirts and Naruto wristbands. It wasn’t just to make her feel better though. In all honesty, back then when he didn’t know about Eva’s love for jellyfishes, he hated his own mark. He wanted to be with Eva, not with some random who had a tentacle fetish (note: Neil was a teenage boy and didn’t know about Eva’s love for jellyfish). He hated it so much that he always picked at it whenever he saw it. Picking until scars were growing under the mark for six years, until he found Eva’s mark on the back of her neck during prom night. And after a small outing to the aquarium when Eva squealed at the jellyfishes and listed facts on them.

Now, after realising they were each other’s soulmates, Eva couldn’t help it but feel a bit guilty on never noticing he had a mark that might have hinted on something about them. Maybe if she had known sooner, she would had looked harder on where her mark was and saved him all these scars.

Not seeing how Neil was frowning at her, Eva was surprised when he suddenly came closer to her. He ignored his sunburns as he wrapped an arm around her from behind while he used his free hand to brush her hair aside. She couldn’t bring herself to protest when she felt his gaze on the bright green star marked on the back of her neck, making her squirm a bit.

“We talked about this,” Eva could feel his breath against her skin. “It happened. And I don’t want to think about it.” It didn’t help when he pressed his lips against her mark, making her almost squeak in surprise. “I don’t want you to think so much about it either. I just want us to move on now we know we…um…belong to each other…or something…you know what I mean.”

Ah. He got self-conscious and backed out. The moment was sort of ruined as Eva raised a brow and Neil hid his face against the back of her shoulder. She wanted to glare at him for doing that, but she decided not to. “Idiot…” she grumbled before going back to playing with his mark again. She stared at it carefully, her thumb rubbing the mark for a bit as a thought came to her. Bringing Neil’s wrist closer, she eyed on the mark for a moment longer before she shyly placed a small kiss on it.

That got his attention, and it made him laugh. “Much better.” Eva huffed and refused to look at his giddy face. Laughing still, Neil nuzzled against her neck. “I seriously don’t care how long it took for us to get here, Eva. I’m just glad we’re actually _here_ like this, and that’s enough for me…”

A blush crept up Eva’s cheeks as she tried to wiggle out of his hold. “If you’re not whining in pain anymore, let go. I want to actually do something on out first date.”

“What?! Noooooooo! I am a sick man!” Neil kept a firm hold on her to keep her still. Despite her protests, they were laughing at how silly this was before they fell back onto the beach towel, still close as they continued to laugh within each other’s embrace.


	7. Day 7: Free for all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 7: Free for all. Eva and Neil are called in by Iris' day care teacher, only to come to face with with Helen blowing a fuse over her son did nothing wrong on breaking Iris' soft toy. Neil was having none of it, nor was Eva, as all hell broke loose from her unleashing her rage on the woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deceiver: Just a heads-up. Eva unleash the swear words.

Neil was not in the mood for this.

He and Eva did not get dragged out of their office because the day care teacher called them in, only to listen to some garbage Helen was spewing out of her mouth. Neil was never a people person and would usually just dismiss her rants with some snarky comments, but just the way this woman spat out her words rotted his already dead brain to the point he couldn’t think properly. Thank God he had his super-reflective glasses on to hide away how his eyes rolled at her, or this demon would go on forever.

“Are you even _listening_!?” she finally snapped, making Neil wince and instinctively hold Iris close. His poor baby girl was still sobbing as she tried her best to hug her daddy and her torn up jellyfish, named Lorenzo, close. Neil really just wanted to walk out right now, but this woman just wouldn’t _shut up_.

“Cool story, Hel, but same thing. Your hell spawn of a son wrecked my daughter’s jellyfish.” He tilted his glasses down to leer at her. Eva was going to tell him off for this, he was sure, but for now he wanted to just drag this soccer mum. That and Eva didn’t make a move since she got here, or any comments really, so might as well say whatever he wanted for now.

The over the top offended gasp this woman made herald a coming storm. “I’ll _have you know_ that this wouldn’t have happened if your daughter didn’t bring her childish soft toy into the day care in the first place!” There she went again. Always the same argument. “You should know very well she shouldn’t bring her toy here to begin with!”

“ _No_ , Helen. The rule stated the day care take no responsibility for any lost or damaged toys that are brought in, “Neil drawled as he had to explain this to her again. ”Our Iris here is a very responsible girl and takes good care of her Lorenzo, while your son over there decided to break someone’s thing just because he is a big bully.”

“Ha!” She scoffed. “My son just wanted to play with your daughter! And she said no, so he had to resort to this to have her attention,” she wrinkled her nose. “And what’s with that name, Lorenzo? Such a stupid name.”

“It’s not a stupid name because Iris likes it and named her jellyfish with it!” Neil couldn’t stop himself from snapping, but he had no patience with this demonic woman. Other than just being tired of her attitude, Neil’s other reason to not tell her off and destroy her was because Iris was here within his arms. She was already upset enough, and she needs him for cuddles.

This earned him a haughty laugh. “Ha! So it was _your_ idea? I thought so!” she flipped back her ‘can I speak to your manager’ haircut. “And is that _anyway_ you should be talking to someone? Honestly, people from Sigmund are so ill-mannered, like your snivelling daughter there.”

Neil really had it. He opened his mouth, but stopped when Eva suddenly stood up from her seat beside him. She hadn’t said a word, yet for some reason, Neil felt a sudden dread from her looming presence as he instinctively covered Iris’ ears.

Helen, however, was unfazed. “Is there something you want to say, Mrs Doctor?”

“Yes. I have a lot to say,” Eva said in a dangerously calm manner. “I need you to clarify something for me, _Helen._ From what you just said, you say it is _okay_ for a boy to break someone’s things?”

The mum gave another laugh. “Of course. My son meant nothing bad. He just wanted your daughter’s attention, like any good healthy boy would do. If she didn’t want her toy to get broken, then she shouldn’t have brought it in to begin with.”

There was silence, with Eva only breathing in quietly. “Well, that explains your poor marital status.”

There was an eye twitch. “Excuse me… _what_?”

“I _said_ ,” Eva leant in casually, “that explains your poor marital status. I bet your…what was it? Third marriage? Yeah that’s it. Your third marriage ended because your previous husbands did the same thing to you and you never learn from it, _b!# &^_.”

Neil couldn’t help it. He let out a snort, but quickly turned away to stop himself. The utter shock on Helen’s face didn’t help though, and he was in near tears as his wife continued to roast the woman before she could say anything. “You call your son an angel, but everyone here will agree he is nothing but a hell spawn born from you and your failed relationship. But again, it’s not that surprising. Your name Helen sounds like you’re a being from _Hell._ ”

“M-Mrs Rosalene-Watts!” The day care teacher was finally saying something. Neil forgot he existed. “Your daughter is in the wrong though! She brought that toy in and it is solely her fault to have Helen’s son break it!”

“That is _Doctor_ Rosalene-Watts, Mister,” Eva shot him a deadly glare. “And from what I’m hearing, you allow the children here to break other children’s property because you believe it is not your responsibility to teach them it is wrong to begin with?” She laughed. “No wonder you had to call us in and let Helen do all the talking. You can’t even handle your job because you’re so $#!^ty at it!”

“H-How dare you!?” Both the teacher and Helen shot out of their seats, but Eva was not done yet. “My daughter just brought her jellyfish to the day care to share with her friends. But no. Your bratty son had to tear his limbs apart just to get her attention! A healthy boy would do that? Oh _puh_ -lease. That’s the oldest excuse in the book and you should know it too, _Hel._ But again, you know nothing because of how #^&!ing stupid you are.”

“How dare!” Helen literally had smoking coming out of her mouth as she growled at Eva. But that didn’t faze her. She ignored her and turned to the teacher. “Listen here. I am telling you how to do your job. Teach the children here not to be little $#!^s like Helen’s boy over there, or I am making a complaint to the Board on how unprofessional you are to allow bullying to occur. When I return, it _better_ not happen again, got that!?”

All the teacher could do was go back to being meek and nod his head. Satisfied, Eva turned towards her family to pick Iris up. “C’mon, sweetie. Let’s leave this bad place. I’ll get you ice cream and fix Lorenzo for you.”

“P-Promise?” Iris could only manage a sniffle.

“I promise. He will look like nothing bad ever happened to him,” she kissed the top of her head as they left with Neil.

Helen, however, wasn’t letting this slide. “You think you can get away with this!? I’ll report your unprofessionalism to your Bosses!”

“Whatever! Like he would listen to you,” Neil blew off her bluff with his own as he swagged his way out of the door with Eva.

“Damn you Sigmund doctors!” she continued to screech. “I knew we shouldn’t have let your daughter come here, you murderers! She’s just as bad you two by bringing nothing pleasant in here!”

_SMACK_

It came so fast. Neil made the first move since Eva was now holding Iris. He just rushed back to slap Helen across the face. She was dumbstruck at actually being hit, her fake eyelashes dangled off her eyelids from the impact. The teacher and her son just looked on in shock as both Eva and Neil seethed…

“Don’t you go call our daughter a murderer, Hel. _We mean it._ ”

And then they left.

~.~.~.~.~

Neil stretched his arms up into the air just as he finally finished the last of his reports. Before he got out of his seat though, he heard a knock at the door. It opened as Eva came in with Lorenzo, now fixed and resting within her hands as she turned to where Iris was. The poor girl was sleeping on Neil’s giant Snorlax bean bag while being surrounding by dozens of other soft toys, yet she was still sniffling as her fingers twitched at nothing once in while.

Both her parents walked over to her, sitting down beside her as Eva gently placed Lorenzo next to her. Iris’ hands came to life and she instinctively grabbed onto it for a good cuddle, a small smile growing on her face.

“Stupid Helen,” Eva grumbled as she rested her head onto Neil’s shoulder. All her husband could do was pat her back in comfort. “I seriously hate her.”

“Yeah…only she could make you start swearing again,” he tried to joke but it failed. “You think we’ll really get in trouble?”

“I don’t care. I was not going to sit around and let our daughter be mistreated just because of our job,” she turned to him. “You felt the same, right? You did go up and hit her across the face.”

“Hey, that was uncalled for,” Neil took off his glasses to play with it for a moment. “And I’ll only act like a professional when I _am_ doing my job. And since I wasn’t working, might as well give her a wake-up call.”

“Doubt she’s ever gonna wake up from that,” she sighed, nuzzling against Neil a bit until he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like this for a while, until he began to speak again.

“Hey,” Eva looked up at him to show she was listening, “even if we get sued, I do have proof that the day care guy and Hel were the ones who started it,” he took out his phone and waved it around in front of her. “Something told me I should get some blackmail material for just in case they were being idiots, y’know?”

Eva stared at the phone in his hand, then back at him. “You. I like you. So much.”

There was laughter as Neil pulled her in for a kiss, glad to see that cheered Eva up. She smiled at his sudden enthusiasm before pressed back with just as much affection too. Despite trying to be quiet, they woke Iris up from her slumber, and she glared at her parents with a grumpy pout.

“No kissy…” she grumbled as she slid off the bean bag. Her parents watched her move, but then smiled when Iris realised she was hugging Lorenzo again. “Lorenzo!” she squealed and began bouncing around happily. “Mummy! Daddy! Lorenzo is better again! Look!”

“Yes. Yes he is, pumpkin,” Eva patted her daughter’s hair, getting a giggle before the little girl glomped her parents in glee. Eva pressed a small kiss on her forehead too, getting more giggles as Neil huggled the two close. They didn’t care about Helen anymre, they only cared about each other right now. And that cheered them right up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deceiver: I DID IT QvQ Thank you to those who read it!


End file.
